He didn't "steal" the passwords. He knew the passwords. He was the network admin in charge of the passwords. There was a dispute at work, and all of a sudden he wasn't the network admin any more. Between being an employee and getting fired, he didn't raid a bunch of drawers and creep out with a sheaf of papers tucked into a sack marked "SWAG".
When asked to provide the passwords, he refused to divulge them to people not on the "authorised to know" list, which means that although we was heading towards not being an employee, he was still conscientiously following department policy. The fact was that the clueless idiots who were demanding the passwords were themselves violating policy since they were not authorised to have them.
Admittedly, he sounds like a bit of a paranoid loon (keeping all the users' VPN passwords at home and not letting anyone else touch his precioussssss network was not a smart move) but I'm sure that there was no requirement to be a perfectly well-balanced, emotionally mature and prescient individual on the job application. Just as well, or most geeks would never get jobs!
As one who works for a large service provider, to whom a couple of branches of the UK Govt have outsourced IT operations, I see this an awful lot. It is widely recognised that the purpose of outsourcing is to offset liability.
We have a constant battle to try and get the customer to define their requirements properly so that we don't run into precisely these situations - getting a straight answer is like getting blood from a stone - they'd rather just mutter then point the finger when it (inevitably, considering the lack of proper specs) goes wrong.
Classic case of the major IT outsourcing company's telling IT illiterate officials what is technically possible (and massively understating the costs/risks) and the officials turning around and saying " we will take everything" without once stopping and asking "just because we can do it does it mean we should do it?"
Ahem - not entirely true (from the perspective of one who works for one of said IT outsourcing companies)....more likely scenario
Illiterate Govt official: We want a system that does this, this and this IT Company: Erm, afraid that's not really possible IGO: But we *want* it! Now! Waaaaaah! Give it to us or we'll go to your competitors ITC: Well, here's a design that tells you what is possible with today's technology. Oh and by the way, here are the recommendations for using it properly, responsibly and legally. Also, it's going to cost a bloody fortune and take years. IGO: We want all of this right now at bargain basement prices, we want it all to work first time and we want to be able to expand it indefinitely without any major changes or cost increases. Thanks for the recommendations, but we don't need them - we're the Govt, we can do whatever we like ITC:
I can't believe no-one's mentioned this one. An alien species, more technologically advanced but with much less depth of thought, compassion or empathy than displayed by (some) humans. Technology doesn't necessarily equate with moral values that we would recognise. Hell, geographical distribution on Earth leads to some serious disparities in ideas about "right" or "wrong".
I have worked on UK Government networks as a security auditor and have never seen any evidence that "bulk licensing terms ensure security fixes". [emphasis mine] We get the same security fixes at the same time as everyone else.
Plus the usual issue of having to fork out £200 to get MS support for a problem and only being reimbursed if we can prove that the problem is caused by a fault with MS software.
We are also using a large number of Solaris and Red Hat servers. Oddly enough we have far fewer problems with these. Especially when it comes to integrating updates.
If you actually read his notes at the end of "State of Fear", it stated that the arguments against global warming were not his own personal view, he was just using them to illustrate the zealotry that surrounds scientific debate on this issue. He was a talented enough writer to be able to present opposing points of view regardless of his own personal biases, which is a rare commodity in this day and age where people seem to be unable to engage in rational debate without emotional investment warping their viewpoints.
Do we know for certain that all of these attacks originated wholly in China, or is there a possibility that the attacks originated somewhere else, and were simply proxied through a Chinese server?
Assuming that they're together when you "die", then that one thread of consciousness will simply continue to exist on the digital side, and you will survived death
On this subject, read Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. A very interesting look at a future world where consciousness can be digitised, and installed in any body ("sleeve"). Highly recommend this book, it's excellent
Do you have any links about this? I have tested it and seen it for myself, but was just wondering where to get a more in-depth explanation of the exact process that happens.
OK, I have tried this and it's quite scary. Am about to go off and write a risk assessment now......
I looked at MS's website, and there is a tool published there which purports to remove "hidden" or "unwanted" data from Word/Excel/PowerPoint files, however it only talks about tracking and collaboration data. Would this tool remove the data from the other documents, which was picked up by "strings" as well? Can't test it at the moment as it requires validation (ugh) to download and I can't do that from a corporate PC, but would be very interested to know, if anyone else already has.......
As long as you are the legal owner/licensee of the tune in question, you can use tunebite to rip to mp3 or wav or whatever. Probably illegal in America due to the DMCA, but I don't think anyone's been arrested for using it......yet......
Man, are you crazy? In a perfect world, RFID chips would never be abused and only used for the good of society.
In *our* world however.....
RFID chips are not difficult to clone. Take a copy of someone else's chip, and boom you have access to everything that person does. Identity theft - well, if all you have to do is copy someone's chip you're saved all the hassle of trying to get them to follow your phishing link. Want an alibi? Commit a crime while in possesion of an ID chip you've nicked/cloned off someone else. If the system were foolproof, all these nice ideas you postulate might work. Stick in the human factor, and you have instant corruption, advantage-taking, and the same old criminal activity we (humans) have been at for millenia.
RFID chips that switch lights on for you on the other hand are quite cool.
From what I can tell, cryonics has a way to go yet.
1. Thawing people who have been frozen for years. As far I am aware, water expands when it's frozen. Cell walls burst. Tissue turns to mush. Either repairing that damage, or preventing it are currently beyond the horizon of science (AFAIK)
2. Bringing dead people back to life. We're nowhere *near* this in our current scientific and medical knowledge. Humankind may never suss it out (some pretty awesome philosophical questions would be raised if we did!) and it seems to me that tying up a whole load of money in the hope that someday, someone might figure it out goes way beyond being a speculative investment!
3. Assuming that the societies of the future will *want* to thaw you instead of seizing your assets and making off with them in the dead of night. You might hate the society you awake in ("Demolition Man", anyone?). Or the sci-fi story of a reanimated chap having no money or rights and being used as a guinea pig. What, you think human nature's gonna change?
Anyway, it seems a little too far-out for me - I can think of better things to spend my money on! For an interesting perspective on cryonics (and a rip-roaring good yarn) check out this book
Agreed, it's a vicious circle. If enough people were prepared to investigate and learn about the world around them for and by themselves, instead of blindly nodding to what the $AUTHORITY_FIGURE says, then the situation is hopeless anyway, no?
But that's a whole 'nother issue. This scheme is far too open to abuse, and I predict, as others have mentioned, that there will be a certain amount of students playing the "political" card for grudge reasons. But then, these are the type of people likely to cheat on their exams or play the race/sex/age discrimination card unnecessarily anyway (not to say that these types of discrimination don't exist - they do, everywhere. But there are always asshats who like to take advantage of these situations for dishonest reasons)
What worries me is the precedent of making it acceptable for private citizens to spy on each other, and use the collected material with the express purpose of shutting someone up. That sounds a little Stasi-esque to me, and the implications of abuse are even more horrible than a few students getting undeserved academic qualifications.
I left a large company that makes bread, but worked there right up until the end of my notice period. I've also left a computer forensics firm, and was escorted out straight away with my severence pay assured. I think banking, finance and law-related firms are far more likely to walk you out then and there, as the information they hold is percieved to be more "sensitive".
Slashdot Mirror
He didn't "steal" the passwords. He knew the passwords.
He was the network admin in charge of the passwords.
There was a dispute at work, and all of a sudden he wasn't the network admin any more.
Between being an employee and getting fired, he didn't raid a bunch of drawers and creep out with a sheaf of papers tucked into a sack marked "SWAG".
When asked to provide the passwords, he refused to divulge them to people not on the "authorised to know" list, which means that although we was heading towards not being an employee, he was still conscientiously following department policy. The fact was that the clueless idiots who were demanding the passwords were themselves violating policy since they were not authorised to have them.
Admittedly, he sounds like a bit of a paranoid loon (keeping all the users' VPN passwords at home and not letting anyone else touch his precioussssss network was not a smart move) but I'm sure that there was no requirement to be a perfectly well-balanced, emotionally mature and prescient individual on the job application. Just as well, or most geeks would never get jobs!
So very very true
As one who works for a large service provider, to whom a couple of branches of the UK Govt have outsourced IT operations, I see this an awful lot. It is widely recognised that the purpose of outsourcing is to offset liability.
We have a constant battle to try and get the customer to define their requirements properly so that we don't run into precisely these situations - getting a straight answer is like getting blood from a stone - they'd rather just mutter then point the finger when it (inevitably, considering the lack of proper specs) goes wrong.
Ahem - not entirely true (from the perspective of one who works for one of said IT outsourcing companies)....more likely scenario
Illiterate Govt official: We want a system that does this, this and this
IT Company: Erm, afraid that's not really possible
IGO: But we *want* it! Now! Waaaaaah! Give it to us or we'll go to your competitors
ITC: Well, here's a design that tells you what is possible with today's technology. Oh and by the way, here are the recommendations for using it properly, responsibly and legally. Also, it's going to cost a bloody fortune and take years.
IGO: We want all of this right now at bargain basement prices, we want it all to work first time and we want to be able to expand it indefinitely without any major changes or cost increases. Thanks for the recommendations, but we don't need them - we're the Govt, we can do whatever we like
ITC:
Citation needed!!!
Old joke:
What do you call the useless flap of skin on the end of the penis?
-The man
I can't believe no-one's mentioned this one. An alien species, more technologically advanced but with much less depth of thought, compassion or empathy than displayed by (some) humans. Technology doesn't necessarily equate with moral values that we would recognise. Hell, geographical distribution on Earth leads to some serious disparities in ideas about "right" or "wrong".
Time to call in the Men In Black.....
I have worked on UK Government networks as a security auditor and have never seen any evidence that "bulk licensing terms ensure security fixes". [emphasis mine] We get the same security fixes at the same time as everyone else.
Plus the usual issue of having to fork out £200 to get MS support for a problem and only being reimbursed if we can prove that the problem is caused by a fault with MS software.
We are also using a large number of Solaris and Red Hat servers. Oddly enough we have far fewer problems with these. Especially when it comes to integrating updates.
Just my £0.02
Off-topic I know but...
The ex-oppressed are the most fanatic oppressors.
As clearly demonstrated currently in Israel
Disagree.
If you actually read his notes at the end of "State of Fear", it stated that the arguments against global warming were not his own personal view, he was just using them to illustrate the zealotry that surrounds scientific debate on this issue. He was a talented enough writer to be able to present opposing points of view regardless of his own personal biases, which is a rare commodity in this day and age where people seem to be unable to engage in rational debate without emotional investment warping their viewpoints.
I'm James Robinson and so's my wife!
+1, Paranoid
Do we know for certain that all of these attacks originated wholly in China, or is there a possibility that the attacks originated somewhere else, and were simply proxied through a Chinese server?
Just playing devil's advocate.....
Sparta!
"I am a....."
Legal Secretary?
Local Shop?
Loan Shark?
Lost Sheep?
Love Shack?
Lowlife Scum?
Lesbian Swinger?
OK, I give up. What does it stand for?
Definitely worth a read, if not just for the splendid storytelling, but also the philosophical and social questions it provokes
That is pure genius
It's the only way. And don't think that the Conservatives aren't planning the same sort of thing. Remember that old saying about power corrupting?
On this subject, read Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. A very interesting look at a future world where consciousness can be digitised, and installed in any body ("sleeve"). Highly recommend this book, it's excellent
Do you have any links about this? I have tested it and seen it for myself, but was just wondering where to get a more in-depth explanation of the exact process that happens.
Ta
I looked at MS's website, and there is a tool published there which purports to remove "hidden" or "unwanted" data from Word/Excel/PowerPoint files, however it only talks about tracking and collaboration data. Would this tool remove the data from the other documents, which was picked up by "strings" as well? Can't test it at the moment as it requires validation (ugh) to download and I can't do that from a corporate PC, but would be very interested to know, if anyone else already has.......
The link to the MS tool is here:
As long as you are the legal owner/licensee of the tune in question, you can use tunebite to rip to mp3 or wav or whatever. Probably illegal in America due to the DMCA, but I don't think anyone's been arrested for using it......yet......
In *our* world however.....
RFID chips are not difficult to clone. Take a copy of someone else's chip, and boom you have access to everything that person does. Identity theft - well, if all you have to do is copy someone's chip you're saved all the hassle of trying to get them to follow your phishing link. Want an alibi? Commit a crime while in possesion of an ID chip you've nicked/cloned off someone else. If the system were foolproof, all these nice ideas you postulate might work. Stick in the human factor, and you have instant corruption, advantage-taking, and the same old criminal activity we (humans) have been at for millenia.
RFID chips that switch lights on for you on the other hand are quite cool.
1. Thawing people who have been frozen for years. As far I am aware, water expands when it's frozen. Cell walls burst. Tissue turns to mush. Either repairing that damage, or preventing it are currently beyond the horizon of science (AFAIK)
2. Bringing dead people back to life. We're nowhere *near* this in our current scientific and medical knowledge. Humankind may never suss it out (some pretty awesome philosophical questions would be raised if we did!) and it seems to me that tying up a whole load of money in the hope that someday, someone might figure it out goes way beyond being a speculative investment!
3. Assuming that the societies of the future will *want* to thaw you instead of seizing your assets and making off with them in the dead of night. You might hate the society you awake in ("Demolition Man", anyone?). Or the sci-fi story of a reanimated chap having no money or rights and being used as a guinea pig. What, you think human nature's gonna change?
Anyway, it seems a little too far-out for me - I can think of better things to spend my money on! For an interesting perspective on cryonics (and a rip-roaring good yarn) check out this book
But that's a whole 'nother issue. This scheme is far too open to abuse, and I predict, as others have mentioned, that there will be a certain amount of students playing the "political" card for grudge reasons. But then, these are the type of people likely to cheat on their exams or play the race/sex/age discrimination card unnecessarily anyway (not to say that these types of discrimination don't exist - they do, everywhere. But there are always asshats who like to take advantage of these situations for dishonest reasons)
What worries me is the precedent of making it acceptable for private citizens to spy on each other, and use the collected material with the express purpose of shutting someone up. That sounds a little Stasi-esque to me, and the implications of abuse are even more horrible than a few students getting undeserved academic qualifications.
I left a large company that makes bread, but worked there right up until the end of my notice period. I've also left a computer forensics firm, and was escorted out straight away with my severence pay assured. I think banking, finance and law-related firms are far more likely to walk you out then and there, as the information they hold is percieved to be more "sensitive".